


Hellions #4

by Commander_Ferro



Series: Posthumanity [4]
Category: Marvel (Comics)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 19:56:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16646717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Commander_Ferro/pseuds/Commander_Ferro
Summary: The Hellions take on the Committee.  New romances blossom while the students continue to mutate.





	Hellions #4

As promised, Kitty Pryde led the next assassination assignment. With her were only two she trusted – Cannonball and Beef. Empath she despised, but was careful not to let her emotions control her lest he try to use it against her. As for the Stepford Cuckoos, they were just creepy. No one knew very much about them. One of them, Esme, liked to spend her time with Empath. Sophie seemed to favor Tyler Dayspring. The other three appeared to be ciphers, almost as if they were there only as placeholders while Sophie and Esme did the real living.  
Now they were in Los Angeles. This wasn’t going to be an easy mission. There was an organization called the Committee with the goal of reviving the U.S. economy, largely through illicit activities. The problem was that they were in competition with the Hellfire Club and they didn’t engage in competitive business practices. That meant its leaders had to be eliminated. The normal ones – the Anonymous Leader, Carothers, Hicks and Smith - would be no problem. They were just ordinary humans. It was Baron Thunder who would put up a fight, since he had superhuman strength and endurance. There had been a few others but it was uncertain whether or not they were still around. There was also the possibility of posthuman protectors.  
“Here’s the strategy I’ve got mapped out,” Ariel began. “Beef and Cannonball are going to be our grunts. You guys will serve as the distraction. That should draw out anything unwanted, leaving Empath and I to head inside. Cuckoos, hide us as best you can and take out anyone in the way. Cannonball, if Beef is in any real danger, pick him up. I want zero casualties on our side. My primary concern is that all of us get out alive. None of us are dying for the cause. Get it?”  
Empath said, “My teammates will--”  
“--do their jobs,” Ariel interrupted. “And so will you. Let me tell you something, Empath. You know your powers have no effect on Illyana. Screw this up, let any of us get hurt, and I guarantee she’ll tear out your heart and feed it to her pet demons. Are we clear on that? You play your stupid games on your own time, not in the middle of battle.”  
“No one speaks to a de la Rocha like that!”  
Beef gripped Empath by the neck and hoisted him into the air.  
“The lady said to do the mission,” Beef said. “If you don’t shut the fuck up, I’ll snap your neck.”  
“Stop that,” said one of the Cuckoos. No one could tell them apart but it had to be Esme.  
In unison, the other four said, “Stop ruining the mission.”  
As they said those words, the eyes of the Cuckoos glowed. That meant they were exerting control over Empath. In deference to Esme, they simply calmed him down.  
Beef set Empath on the ground, satisfied Empath was neutralized as a threat for the time being.  
“Let’s go,” said Ariel.  
The Hellions rounded a corner and headed toward what was, to outside appearances, a nondescript building. Inside was another matter. The Committee was having a monthly meeting, meaning that all of its leaders would be present. Ariel gave a nod to Cannonball and Beef, sending them into action.  
Cannonball took flight, ramming into a corner of the roof, sending pieces flying. At the same time, Beef hit from the ground, sending bricks flying in all directions.  
That done, Ariel signaled the Stepford Cuckoos. Multiples of them seemed to appear inside the building. They were mental projections but capable of channeling psi-bolts. This made things even more chaotic.  
Ariel decided it was time to enter and nodded to Empath. When they got to the wall, Ariel grabbed Empath and phased them through the wall. Looking around, Ariel sighted all of their targets. Empath saw them, too, and turned their mild distrust of one another into full-blown feelings of betrayal, which caused them to attack one another. The one who counted the most remained unaffected.  
Baron Thunder spied his enemies and strode over to them. He grinned as he reached for Ariel, though he could not touch her. Angry, Thunder batted Empath, knocking him out cold. That released the other leaders, though the one called Hicks had already died at the hands of his colleagues.  
Cannonball, seeing that Ariel was in possible danger, came hurtling down into Baron Thunder. Thunder was slammed into a wall but stood up moments later. He was perturbed but unharmed.  
In the meantime, reinforcements had been summoned. Behemoth, with power like that of Baron, made an entrance. He was nothing more than animated clay but still strong enough to hurt someone. Also present was Ma Mayhem, whose mystic powers worked against the Stepford Cuckoos.  
Behemoth, who caught sight of Beef, engaged him in battle. Whenever one of them struck a blow, the entire building shook. Beef ranked among the strongest known posthumans and he hadn’t yet finished growing.  
::Cuckoos,:: Ariel called out. ::Force Empath awake and tell him to get rid of Mayhem. You can act with her out of the way.::  
There was no reply from the girls other than Empath awakening.  
“Empath, take her out,” Ariel shouted to him.  
Empath focused on Ma Mayhem and his eyes began to glow. Mayhem stopped attacking the Cuckoos and pulled forth a silver dagger. Raising it, Mayhem jabbed it into her throat for as long as her limbs held out. Then, turning to the surviving leaders, Empath set them to fighting again, but this time making them angry enough to tear out throats and draw weapons. It didn’t take long for them to kill one another, with the last committing suicide.  
“You,” Baron Thunder roared. “I will rend you to pieces myself!”  
“Nu-uh,” said Ariel.  
Phasing, Ariel reached into Thunder’s chest and grabbed hold of his heart. Then she drew it out, holding it before the Baron. He only had time enough to gasp before keeling over, dead.  
Cannonball observed Beef having a tough time with Behemoth and slammed him down to the ground. Having the advantage, Beef pummeled the creature until its chest caved in. Now just clay, Beef tore off the head and stomped it into mush.

At the debriefing, there was no doubt that Emma was pleased. She was practically glowing with pride, not least of which because Kitty performed as she had hoped she would.  
“Excellent work all around,” said Emma. “I was not happy with the incident before the mission, Manuel, but you acquitted yourself quite well in the field. However, that is only true because Kitty’s quick thinking told her exactly how to turn the tide of the battle simply by having the Cuckoos wake you up. Remember that the next time you think to challenge her authority. Sam, Bo, your teamwork was very good. You played perfectly off one another, taking natural advantage of opportunities. In addition to the normal fee, I’m giving you all bonuses.  
Excellent work.”

“She gave you a bonus just like that,” Doug asked Kitty.  
“Yep. Don’t get me wrong, the whole thing was gross. All of them died in the most horrible ways imaginable. I think my kill was the quickest and it was disgusting.”  
Doug nodded his head. Even though he knew this was going to be what they were expected to do, it was hard to hear. It was one thing to get second hand information that had happened to other people but very different to hear it from Kitty.  
“This is our life now, isn’t it?”  
Kitty nodded, tears in her eyes. Doug pulled her close, holding her tight, and hoped it was enough.

“Kitty really did that,” Roberto asked.  
“She had to,” Sam replied. “He would have killed Manuel.”  
“No loss to me.”  
“Kitty said we were all coming back alive and she meant it. I think she also wanted to protect some of the rest of us.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Think about it,” said Sam. “She had me and Bo act as distractions and told the Cuckoos to stay out of the battle, at least physically. Then she and Manuel went inside. She always intended to make sure none of us had to kill. Kitty made a sacrifice of herself to protect us. That’s not something I’ll ever forget.”

In another room, five identical girls positioned themselves in various ways throughout the room. None of them spoke, at least not aloud. They engaged in perfunctory tasks, such as homework and cleaning, but nothing to indicate personality and interests. Then, one broke away, animated.  
“I’m going to see Manuel,” said Esme.  
“I don’t think you should,” the others replied. “He is beneath us.”  
“No one is ever good enough for you. Anyway, I don’t think I’m the only one here interested in boys.”  
“Be quiet, Esme,” Sophie said.  
The three others turned to look at Sophie in surprise. Esme never hid her attraction to Manuel but Sophie kept her feelings a secret. Up until then, the Cuckoos weren’t even aware that they could keep secrets from each other.  
“It’s funny,” Esme began. “Because Manuel turned Tyler into somebody’s bitch last month.”  
Sophie slapped Esme hard on the face. It left a red mark. Esme’s eyes flared with anger – perhaps even hatred – but she did nothing. The larger part of her that was in the gestalt knew she had gone too far with Sophie, but she was still mad.  
“I’m going now,” Esme said as she walked out the door.  
The Cuckoos simply stared at one another.

“You really said that to her,” Manuel asked. “Of course you did. You wouldn’t lie to me and I’d know if you did.”  
Esme leaned in to kiss Manuel. Some might have thought he was simply controlling her but that was far from the truth. Esme wasn’t precisely immune to Manuel’s power but she could reduce its effects to 20% simply by dispersing it amongst her sisters. No one really understand what the Cuckoos were other than that, as a gestalt, they represented an Omega-level telepath.  
“Lying is part of fear,” Esme responded. “Without fear there is no reason to lie.”  
Manuel might normally take offense but he knew Esme was stating a fact and not trying to piss him off.  
“That extra bonus money will certainly be useful in acquiring the distilled PHX. Who would have thought anyone locally would deal in posthuman drugs?”  
“Shut up and kiss me.”

“That’s how he did it,” Tyler asked.  
Sophie nodded.  
“You say distilled PHX is available in town?”  
“In an aerosol, actually. They call it Kick.”  
Tyler smiled at Sophie. He wasn’t sure why she liked him so much. Sophie wasn’t cruel like Esme or cold like Mindee, Phoebe and Celeste. She surely knew what he had helped Fabian almost do to Mark.  
“We should get some. If it could raise you to Omega-level on your own, it might help you to break from your sisters.”  
“I don’t want to leave them,” Sophie said. “Neither does Esme. It’s just that we want to be individuals, too. Besides, you know Esme would be doing the same thing.”  
“Imagine if an Omega-level mutant increased in power. What could I do? What couldn’t I do? I’d be even smarter.”  
Tyler pulled Sophie down on the bed with him.  
“You are perfect for me, Sophie.”  
Sophie smiled. It was nice to have someone make her feel anything at all. The others didn’t understand. She wondered if, within the quintuplets themselves, some of them might be mutants. Were those mutants Sophie and Esme or the other three?

::Hellions,:: came a telepathic burst from Emma Frost. ::Assemble on the lawn between the dormitories. We have new arrivals. Be sure you’re wearing your school uniforms.::  
In short order, the entire group of Hellions – twenty-seven in all – were assembled on the lawn. It was chilly but not exceptionally cold. It hadn’t been a harsh winter so far.  
Standing with Emma were three attractive teenagers. It seemed that there was a pattern that all Hellions must be reasonably good-looking. None of them were ugly and certainly didn’t display any unusual physical attributes that couldn’t disappear at will.  
“Eileen Harshaw is the daughter of a railroad CEO in Canada. You’ll find her quite formidable. Isn’t that right, Eileen?”  
“Yes, Ms. Frost. Should I show them?”  
“Not here. Only in select areas, which we shall discuss later.”  
Jenny Stavros was about to take the lead in welcoming Eileen but Kitty stepped forward instead. Kitty stood up and walked over to Eileen. She clasped her hand and pulled her into a hug.  
“Welcome, Eileen,” Kitty said. “I’m Kitty Pryde. Trust me that you’re going to have a great time here.”  
There were some raised eyebrows among Kitty’s friends, but they realized she must have been trying to up the ante with Frost. If she performed the way Frost wanted her to behave, it was much easier for her to gain valuable information.  
Emma beamed a smile at Kitty, proud of her behavior. Jenny was fuming but smart enough to realize that Kitty was using Frost; however, there was nothing she could do about it right then. Her only real ally was Manuel and now he was with Sophie all the time. Christopher Aaronson came to mind as a possibility, one she might soon call upon.  
“Also here are yet another pair of twins, Stephen and Ivana Scarsdale. Their father is the CEO, president and chief executive of the Tribune Company.”  
No one really knew what Tribune was except Kitty. Continuing to be gracious, Kitty decided to enlighten her teammates.  
“Tribune pretty much owns all of the media in and around Chicago,” Kitty said. "Welcome to you both. I’m sure you two will fit in perfectly, and perhaps trade notes with Adam and Mercedes on being mutant fraternal twins.”  
Mark, who had been sitting next to Angelica and holding her hand, suddenly gripped tighter.  
“Ow,” Angelica yelped, pulling her hand away.  
“Sorry,” Mark exclaimed. “It’s just that I have a twin sister, too, and I have no idea what happened to her, or even if she's still alive.”  
“Oh, geez, Mark, I forgot.”  
Mark looked sullen but made no further comment.  
While Kitty talked to Eileen and Ivana about showing them to their rooms, James made a similar approach with Stephen. As Head Boy it was his responsibility, but he wasn’t very good at this sort of thing.  
“Uh, hey, Stephen. Welcome to the Academy. I’m James. I can show you to your room.”  
Roberto looked on at the floundering attempts at conversation James was having with Stephen. There was no doubt that Stephen was well-bred. To save James from further embarrassment, Roberto decided to step in.  
“Welcome, Stephen,” he said. “I am Roberto DaCosta. I believe you will be sharing the room right next to my own. I will introduce you to Adam, your new roommate, and we can get you settled.”  
An appreciative look, mixed with relief, appeared on James’s face. Roberto gave him a wink as he ushered Stephen away. James couldn’t help wonder if Roberto might make the better Head Boy.

Doug was tapping away on his computer, searching for some new source of information about whatever caught his fancy at the time. That’s how Roberto saw it anyway. Doug was always on that computer when he wasn’t working out or off somewhere with Kitty. When Doug suddenly stopped, Roberto paid no attention.  
“Holy shit,” Doug said, just loud enough to be heard by his roommate.  
“What is it,” Roberto asked.  
“I wanted to see if I could find anything more about Selene Gallio.”  
“There can’t be very much to find.”  
“That’s where you’re wrong.”  
Doug gulped, very visibly disturbed.  
“Let me read: ‘Selene Gallio, wife of the late Marcus Gallio, has reappeared in New York City. Ms. Gallio has reported that kidnappers abducted herself, her husband and her daughter Oriana Aquilla’s family.’”  
“Did you say Oriana Aquilla?”  
“Yeah, and there’s more. ‘Oriana died at the hands of her captors but Selene’s granddaughter, Amara, managed to escape, though her whereabouts not known. Marcus Gallio is confirmed dead but the fate of Lucius Aquilla remains unknown.’”  
“That can’t be possible!”  
“It is,” said Doug. “Lucius Aquilla was a high-ranking member of the Italian Parliament. He married Oriana Gallio and they had one child together, a daughter named Amara. Selene and Marcus Gallio vanished when Amara was a pre-teen. The Aquilla family disappeared a few years later. It was huge in the media at the time but no one ever found them. Now we know why.”  
“We have to tell Amara immediately,” said Roberto.  
“I agree. Let me put this on my flash drive so we can take it over to her.”

Minutes later, the boys were in Amara’s room. They didn’t stop to tell anyone, deciding it was too important to wait. Angelica was in the room but Roberto paid her no heed as he recounted Doug’s discovery.  
“This cannot be,” said Amara. “I remember my entire life in Nova Roma. I was there from birth and my mother died when I was an infant. This must be a trick of Selene’s somehow!”  
“I don’t think it is,” said Angelica.  
“How could you know anything about it?”  
“We’ve lived together for four months now. In that time, you’ve increasingly slipped into an Italian accent. You usually notice it pretty quickly and switch back to the Nova Roman accent but lately it’s taken you longer to adjust.”  
“How can this be possible?”  
“We know Selene is a sorceress,” said Roberto. “What if she used her power to cast a spell on you, or perhaps all of Nova Roma. Now that she is free, the spell is wearing off and you are beginning to revert to your true self. It would explain certain things.”  
“If there is a spell, it is this!”  
“Selene only showed up two months ago,” said Doug. “When I think about it, I realized you’ve been slipping into the Italian accent for as long as I’ve known you. Heck, you’ve used Italian words at times. I just translate automatically so I have to think about it to really notice. A spell isn’t being cast now. An old one is wearing off.”  
“No! I will not accept this!”  
Amara’s skin brightened and transformed, taking on the appearance of molten lava shaped in human form. Her head was flame and her eyes lost all color. The ground began to tremble.  
Realizing what was happening, Roberto transformed to Sunspot, hoping his power would absorb some of the heat to shield himself and the others. What Roberto couldn’t see was that his own head had a corona of dark flame, something that had never before happened.  
“Amara, stop this,” Roberto shouted, grabbing her wrists.  
Even Amara was shocked. The black flame seemed to be an extension of his hair, flowing and leaving a trail as he moved. Glancing down at himself, Roberto saw nothing unusual. His skin was black with heat bubbles crackling around him, as usual.  
“Your head, dude,” Doug said. “Check it out. One of you girls must have a mirror.”  
Amara, who had now powered down, went to a drawer and pulled forth a hand mirror. As Roberto looked in the mirror his eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped.  
“Madre de Dios,” Roberto exclaimed. “What has happened to me?”  
“It’s just a little change in your look,” said Doug. “Everyone’s been changing lately.”  
What Doug said was true. Posthumans around the world seemed to be undergoing changes. Powers were increasing and new abilities, typically related to the base power, began to appear. It was also the case that they were becoming physically perfect, or something close to it.  
“A little change!”  
“Power down. I’m sure you’re still normal.”  
Roberto did as Doug suggested and saw that he had his ordinary appearance again.  
“Have you also changed,” Roberto asked Doug.  
“Sort of. I don’t just understand languages. I can see patterns. Some of the others know but I don’t think they realize it’s new. Plus, I think I can extend a kind of ‘language field’ so that other people can speak and understand different languages while inside of it. I need to test it more. Anyway, we should get back to Amara’s situation.”  
“I think,” said Amara. “That I should discuss this with Ms. Frost. She had counseled patience to me when I first learned that Selene had joined the Hellfire Club. Perhaps now she might be willing to allow me a chance for vengeance.”  
“I will gladly join you in that,” said Roberto.  
Roberto clasped Amara’s hand. She smiled and embraced him.

On the north end of campus, Rahne and Adam had found a quiet spot. A new building had been erected but the interior had not yet been completed. The rumor was that it was to be a new dormitory for the girls while both of the older dorms would be for the boys. The building was much larger than either of the other two, suggesting there were plans to double the student body.  
“This looks like it will be nice inside when it’s done,” said Rahne.  
Adam nodded, but he seemed distracted.  
“Rahne, I asked you here for a reason,” Adam began. “I want to ask you something.”  
“What is it?”  
“I want to, that is, I’d like for you and I to go on a date. I was thinking of going into town for dinner and a movie.”  
Rahne grinned. She was now what Sharon considered to be Rahne’s fully human form. She had long red hair, a rather shapely body, and was absolutely stunning to behold. Boys had tripped over themselves to ask her out on dates, but Rahne had eyes only for Adam.  
“I would love that, Adam,” Rahne replied. “I was wondering when you’d finally ask me.”  
“I know I waited, but I wanted to make sure this flirting we’ve been doing was more than just that.”  
“What does Mercedes think?”  
“Mercedes is my sister and I love her dearly, but I really don’t care what she thinks. When I first saw you I wanted to ask you out on the spot, but between my sister and your friend Dani nagging on, I thought I’d best wait to get to know you better. Now I think I know you well enough to be able to say to anyone that I really want to be with you.”  
“What about my looks,” Rahne asked. “Does that make a difference?”  
“Rahne, I liked you when we first met. I never put you down to anyone when you were staring at me that first day. I think what I sensed in you is now physically manifest. You are as beautiful outside as you always had been inside. It was the inside that mattered most.”  
“And if I suddenly found myself looking like I used to?”  
“Rahne,” Adam said, staring directly into her eyes. “I’ve already fallen for you. It doesn’t matter what you look like.”  
Adam leaned forward and kissed Rahne. She didn’t resist; on the contrary, she gave herself over fully. After several moments they pulled apart. Both of them smiled.  
“Adam, I just want you to know that I’m not ready for anything more. Not just yet. I can’t seem to put Reverend Craig behind me.”  
Reverend Craig had raised Rahne from infancy. He told her constantly that her mother was a whore and that Rahne would turn out just like her if she didn’t live a pious life. With no one else to guide her, Rahne believed Craig. It was likely the reason why Rahne remained physically unattractive. By all accounts, Rahne’s mother was beautiful. If Rahne allowed herself to be the same, she might be led to temptation. If she gave into it, wouldn’t that be proof that she was, as Reverend Craig had said, just like her mother?  
With a laugh, Adam said, “There’s no rush, Rahne. I wasn’t looking for that right now. It has to be something special. It will happen when – or if – we’re both ready.”  
Rahne embraced Adam. She knew that she had found someone good. Her senses were so keen now that she could tell that Adam wasn’t lying. To have a man who liked her for who she was, whoever that might be, was more than she could ever have hoped.

Christopher Aaronson sat alone in the student lounge. There were others present but he wanted nothing to do with them. Ever since Manuel had used his powers to force Christopher to rape Tyler, he had been avoiding him. He found it easier to stay away.  
In times past, when he’d first come to the Academy, Christopher would have spent his time with Marie-Ange. She had followed him like a puppy dog and he had treated her as little more than that. Christopher would throw her the occasional bone to keep her interested.  
Since his return, Christopher found that Marie-Ange had grown mentally stronger. She spent much of her time practicing sorcery with her roommate, Illyana Rasputin, and it showed. Illyana herself was a considerable threat. If she decided that Christopher were mistreating Marie-Ange, she might retaliate. As of yet, he had found no way to affect Illyana’s mind, which was true of all psychics on campus, including Emma Frost. That meant he must, at least for the present, stay away.  
Lost in reverie, Christopher was startled when a hand landed on his shoulder. Turning his head to look up, Christopher saw Jenny Stavros. She was gorgeous and, he guessed, a manipulator. Christopher never had the feeling that she disliked him, and thought maybe she might be interested in him.  
“Want some company,” Jenny asked.  
Rather than move to another chair, Jenny sat on the edge of his chair and put an arm around his neck.  
“You are cute,” she said.  
“As are you beautiful.”  
Jenny smiled but it didn’t enamor her. Boys had been falling for as long she could remember. Jenny had long ago discovered that she could get nearly any boy she wanted. The only really difficult ones were the gays. There were sometimes girls as a pleasant diversion.  
Feeling she’d already hooked Christopher, Jenny moved from the edge of the chair to his lap. A few others in the room exchanged glances, but this wouldn’t be the first time Jenny put the moves on a boy so publicly.  
“Very forward of you,” Christopher said.  
“I’m a forward kind of girl when I want to be.”  
As if to put her words into action, Jenny leaned in to kiss Christopher. He enjoyed the kiss but felt the location wasn’t right.  
“Perhaps we should go somewhere else.”  
Jenny got to her feet and smiled.  
“I know just the place.”

Mark lay on his bed, trying to decide what to do. So far he hadn’t made any serious moves on Angelica. It wasn’t that she was being a cock-tease like she had been with other boys, but he wasn’t happy she was using some of the PH drugs. It was only Kick, a power enhancer with pleasant side effects, but it could still be dangerous. Mark had a difficult time staying away from the stuff and had relapsed a few times with Angelica. If he went ahead and took the next step with her, he might feel obliged to spend more time doing drugs together. Once it became obvious, Kitty would kill him.  
The door opened and Fabian entered. Mark was still uneasy around Fabian. Ever since he had heard what Fabian had almost done to him a few months ago it was hard to feel comfortable. Knowing Fabian wasn’t really responsible – that the true culprits were actually Tyler Dayspring, Christopher Aaronson and Manuel de la Rocha – didn’t make it any easier.  
“We need to talk,” Fabian said, sitting on the edge of Mark’s bed.  
“Then talk.”  
“You can’t keep blaming me. First of all, it was your drug that made me feel amorous. That happened when I was destroying them to protect you from further use. Second, the effect was greatly enhanced by Manuel, with the aid of Tyler and Christopher. Third, Manuel directed my lust specifically at you. I truly had no control over my actions. You can’t keep punishing me for what they did.”  
Mark knew Fabian was right. He realized that part of it had to do with other people knowing about it while Mark was left in the dark. The participants aside, it turned out James, Bo, Kitty, and Illyana – if not others – all knew. Yet, he held no grudge against them.  
“Okay.”  
“What does that mean?”  
“You’re right. I’ve been treating you poorly when you were as much a victim as me.”  
“Does that mean we’re friends?”  
Grudgingly, Mark smiled.  
“Yeah, we’re friends.”

“This is a nice room for a school,” said Ivana Scarsdale.  
“You’ve never been away to school,” Mercedes responded.  
“No. Stephen and I were pretty adamant about that. We’re only here now because Daddy said we used our powers too publicly and that the world wasn’t going to be as accepting of us as, well, everyone we knew.”  
“No one cared?”  
“No,” Ivana answered. “Or if they did, we never noticed. Stephen and I were always popular. We never even said things like, ‘I’m a mutant’. I remember Stephen showing his powers just because he thought they were cool and wanted to show off.”  
“My fathers felt similar,” said Mercedes. “They felt Adam and I were getting to the point where others would find out about our powers and create problems. Since they already knew Ms. Frost they made arrangements for us to come here.”  
“Did you say ‘fathers’? Like, in the plural sense.”  
“Is that a problem?”  
“Heck, no! Just clarifying."  
Mercedes smiled. People tended to look down on her for having two fathers, but that was all she’d ever known. They had raised she and her brother from birth. The only part their mother had in their lives was that she had given birth to them. Except for that one summer Adam had gone off with her, something for which Mercedes had never entirely forgiven him for doing.  
“Did you want to ‘compare notes on what it’s like to be boy-girl mutant fraternal twins’?”  
Both girls laughed hysterically at that comment. It was the most ludicrous thing either of them had heard when it was spoken by Kitty Pryde earlier that day.  
“It’s just terrible,” Ivana mocked. “A real trial for me.”  
“Exactly. Boys, particularly as brothers, are just horrid creatures.”  
They grinned at one another, obviously realizing they were going to get along quite well.

“Why is it you didn’t want to come here,” Adam asked.  
Stephen shrugged. Most people didn’t see things like he did.  
“None of my friends cared that I was a mutant,” said Stephen. “Everyone knew and me and Ivana were really popular. Heck, the school threw us a party before we left. My Dad tricked us by saying this was just going to be a prep school where we’d also be able to train with our powers – not that we need it. Now I see we’re segregated between those with powers and those without. I would have put up more of a fight if I’d known.”  
Adam nodded. The situation was somewhat familiar to him though not entirely the same.  
“In my case, no one knew, and it was intended to stay that way.”  
Stephen looked in the mirror on the door. He rubbed the stubble on his chin and brushed his hair. Then he covered his head with a Harley Davidson cap that was turned so that the bill was in the back. Stephen made sure his hair on the sides looked good and then examined his clothes. Determining they were fine, he turned to Adam.  
“Going on a date,” Adam asked.  
“Nah, but I want to be ready, just in case. But, um, is that hottie redhead your girlfriend? She’s smokin’.”  
“Yeah, so keep your hands off.”  
“No worries,” Stephen said with a smile. “You two would look perfect strolling down a red carpet at the premier of a movie or an awards ceremony.”  
“I’m more the artistic type. What about you?”  
“I like sports, but my powers make me too strong to compete. Maybe snowboarding. I could go pro. My Dad says I should go into business.”  
“You don’t sound like the spoiled brat some people think you are.”  
“I’ve only been here a few hours. How could they know? I’m pretty easy going and I like to have fun. I keep my grades up and never get into any trouble I can’t get out of.”  
“If you’re looking for a girl, that new one Eileen looks very attractive.”  
“No girls for me.”’  
“You’re gay.”  
“Whatever.”  
“I have two fathers.”  
“Oh, yeah? Cool.”  
“You don’t have to worry about me being uncomfortable.”  
“I wasn’t,” Stephen said. “Me and Ivana just do our thing and don’t really worry about what other people think.”  
“Ivana is… she likes girls?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”  
“No, just us.”  
“How did your parents handle your sexuality?”  
“I never told them.”  
“They don’t know?”  
“I’ve dated guys. They can’t have missed that, especially since I’ve introduced them as my boyfriends. I just thought coming out was stupid so I didn’t do it. Straight people don’t have to announce it so why should I? If I date a guy then it should be obvious I like guys.”  
“Your family doesn’t care?”  
“No one cared,” said Stephen. “I told you, we were popular. Maybe because I never made a big deal they just followed my cue. Ivana and I were pretty influential.”  
“You should fit in here. The Academy is meant to mold the elite.”  
“Maybe, but it sounds like more segregationist crap. Ivana and I went to a public school up until now, which is what we wanted. Once you set yourself apart it’s like saying you’re better than everyone else. The X-Men probably always wondered why they weren’t accepted. Maybe it was because they hid themselves away at some school in upstate New York.”  
“How did you know about that,” Adam asked. “I only know because Rahne attended.”  
“My father has so many connections he knows everything. He originally wanted to send us there until I convinced him it was a mutant ghetto.”  
“Rahne does seem happy here. From what I gather she’s flourished here in ways she never did at Xavier’s.”  
“Bigger population here. At least she can hang with other kids if she wants to.”  
Adam didn’t have much more to say on the subject. He knew that he felt that using his powers publicly shouldn’t be a big deal. He and Mercedes had certainly been prepared to do so. The only time Adam was able to was during his summer in Atlantis with his mother and brother. Too bad that trip had been a disaster.

Emma Frost sat at her desk doing paperwork. She sensed a disturbance among the Hellions, as she occasionally did, but it quickly came under control. Emma assumed that it had to do with Roberto manifesting a secondary mutation, which had been picked up by Cerebra – the replacement for Multivac that was based on Xavier’s Cerebro. These new manifestations were on the rise. Not all of the students were aware of the changes, but she knew for a fact that Fabian, Christopher, Roberto, Doug, James, Jenny, Marie-Ange and Dani had now all experienced these secondary mutations since arriving at the Massachusetts Academy. Emma didn’t know what to make of it. It was nothing she had done, suggesting that posthumanity was itself undergoing a transformation.  
It was while thinking of these things that Emma felt a tremor. It appeared to be under this very building.  
Reaching for the comm, Emma said, “Randall, is there a problem?”  
“One of the students is here,” Randall replied. “I told her you were busy but she’s quite upset.”  
“Amara Aquilla?”  
“How did--?”  
“Send her in, please.”  
Moments later, Amara walked through the door. She was holding printouts from a computer and slapped them down on the desk.  
“Read these.”  
Perusing the article, Emma read the story of Selene Gallio. The most relevant part was, of course, where it spoke of the relationship between Selene and Amara. Right then and there Emma knew she had found her means of controlling Amara. Emma would help Amara recover her memories, bring her father back into the modern world, and forge a mutual alliance against Selene. It was perfect.  
“Amara, darling, I had no idea,” Emma said with feigned concern. “I will help you regain your memories and of course help those poor Nova Romans return to the modern world.”  
“I want vengeance,” Amara said.  
“You will have it. However, Selene is a formidable opponent. She survived a knife to the heart, being dropped into molten lava and buried beneath literally tons of rock. Dealing with her will require careful preparation. If you choose to rush in you are certain to die at her hands. I wouldn’t expect Selene to allow you to touch the ground in order to restore you, even assuming that would work a second time.”  
Amara didn’t seem pleased with what she was hearing but nevertheless sat down.  
“What is your plan?”  
“You will train closely with me to develop your abilities. The attack on Selene, when it comes, will be a team effort. We will devote training sessions in strategy dealing specifically with her. I will also acquire more information about the true extent of her power. Only by knowing the enemy can we hope to defeat it.”  
“You are asking for patience?”  
“Yes, and I think it’s best for other reasons. As your memories return, I suspect you will change. There will be conflict between the girl from Nova Roma and the debutante from Italy. If you have not integrated those aspects of your life, Selene will use them against you.”  
“You do not seem as surprised as you might,” Amara said. “Why is that?”  
“Someone who came from a society based upon the Roman Empire would never adapt to the modern world and technology as you have. Everything you appear to learn so quickly is more likely from previous experience in your old life guiding you. And, quite frankly, the idea that a city as old as the Roman Empire could remain the same for centuries while the rest of the world changed is patently ridiculous. I had intended to explore this further once I had established a trade alliance. Without knowing for certain, it would have been folly to suggest it to you.”  
“I see. When can w1e begin recovering my memories?”  
Emma looked at her clock. She still had so much to do, but making Amara wait was sure to send her off to do something foolish with her friends. She had to act now.  
“Give me one hour. I will do as much work as I can in that time. Then meet me Down Under and we will begin.”  
“Thank you, Ms. Frost. I appreciate your prompt attention.”

Having made a decision, Mark made a trip to the girls dorm. En route, he called Angelica on her cell phone.  
“Angel,” Mark began. “Can you meet me on the lawn between the dorms?”  
“Sure, Mark,” she replied. “Just give me a few minutes.”  
As was increasingly common, both shut off their phones without saying goodbye, just as there has been no formal greeting.

“You have very lovely features,” Sharon said to Eileen.  
Eileen had a room to herself, at least for the moment. That happened on occasion when the balance of students was off. Sharon liked Eileen’s scent and thought she should meet her.  
“Thanks, Sharon,” Eileen said. “You’re very pretty yourself. Can you tell me anything about what we’re going to do here? I heard something about Hellions. What is that?”  
Sharon eyed Eileen. This was the first time anyone had asked about the Hellions on their first day at the Academy. Sharon wondered how much Eileen really knew and how far she was willing to go.  
“Ms. Frost trains us for special missions.”  
“What sort of missions?”  
“We kill enemies of the Lords Cardinal of the Hellfire Club and they pay us a lot of money.”  
Eileen said nothing. She had heard rumors that the Hellions were assassins. Now those rumors had been confirmed. Eileen wasn’t necessarily opposed to the idea. She knew a lot more happened in the corporate world that anyone was willing to acknowledge. Eileen just hoped Frost didn’t expect this to be a permanent state of affairs. She had much better plans for her life than to be a murderer-for-hire.  
“I’d heard as much. I will have to let Ms. Frost know that my power works best with a cape.”  
Sharon grinned. She was going to like Eileen.

On the lawn between the dorms, Mark sat and watched Angelica approach. She sat down next to him when she arrived.  
“What’s up,” Angelica asked.  
“I need you to stop doing drugs,” Mark said.  
“Mark, it’s not hurting anyone.”  
“Yes, it is. When you do them, I end up doing them. I like to do them but a couple of months ago they nearly ended my life. It’s not something I want to risk anymore.”  
“We’re not using PHX,” Angelica said. “I’d never let you go near anything like that. It’s just PHM. It gives a nice mellow feeling and a little buzz. It’s just a step up from cigarettes and you smoke those anyway. Or maybe a cross between cigarettes and liquor. It just feels good.”  
“I just worry about you… about us. I turned to drugs because I was unhappy. With you it was Frost. She did it to you so she could manipulate you. That’s at least partly why she gave them to me, too.”  
“Mark, I promise nothing more than PHM. You don’t have to do it.”  
“Except that I will.”  
Angelica didn’t say anything. Then she stood up.  
“Let’s go into town. We can talk at Murphy’s. I heard a rumor that there’s an X-Door there.”  
Mark raised an eyebrow. X-Doors were very rare except in places where there were concentrations of posthumans. Every major city had them because the percentages of posthumans were especially high. If one were around Snow Valley it meant that someone had noticed a spike of posthumans in the area. Counting Ms. Frost, that was thirty-one for sure and the possibility existed that native posthumans could live in the area at random.  
“Does Ms. Frost know?”  
“Who cares? If it’s really there she’ll figure it out soon enough. Do you want to find out?”  
Mark stood up. The idea of an X-Door was outstanding. It could make living around Snow Valley just a little more tolerable.

About twenty minutes later, Angelica and Mark got off their bicycles in front of Murphy’s. After chaining them to a post, the two went to the door. If Angelica’s information was wrong, they’d be kicked out and probably be punished by Frost. If she was right, it was well worth the risk.  
Stepping inside, they saw nothing special. It looked like any other bar. It had an oaken bar lined with stools. There were a few tables with chairs. Two doors led to restrooms while a third went to a back room. If the X-Door was anywhere, it would be there.  
“Can I help you,” asked the bartender. The condescension in his voice was thick. It wasn’t the first time he’d had teenagers enter the bar in the vain hope of getting alcohol.  
“We’re looking for something different,” Angelica said.  
There were a few people in the bar, all of them staring at the two in expectation of them being thrown out.  
“Is that so?”  
“It’s sort of a door,” Mark said. “With an ‘X’ on it.”  
The bartender’s eyes narrowed. He was not pleased with what he was hearing.  
“A door with an ‘X’ on it? What’s that?”  
“An X-Door,” Mark replied. “I think you know what we mean.”  
“Come with me.”  
The bartender stepped out from behind the bar and led the teenagers into the back room. The bar patrons were, to say the least, surprised. Every other kid had been thrown out and reported to the Academy, but not these two.  
In the back room, Mark and Angelica were shown to a very ordinary-looking door with a silver ‘X’ embedded in it.  
“It’s really true,” said Angelica. “It exists and it’s here.”  
“A word of advice,” said the bartender. “If they reject you for any reason, three things will happen. One, you’ll be sent back here; two, the door will permanently disappear, which will make me very unhappy since I’m paid a lot of money to have it here; and three, I’ll call the police and have you arrested for entering the bar as a minor. Understood?”  
“Don’t worry, sir,” Mark said. “If what we’ve heard is true, we meet all the requirements.”  
“I suppose you’d have to in order to even know about it. Now get in there so I can get back to my bar.”  
Angelica reached for the door handle. As she touched it, the ‘X’ on the door lit up, emanating a silvery light. Angelica looked at Mark for a moment before stepping into the light and vanishing. Mark followed behind moments later.  
Inside, there was a small, barely lit room. The only occupant was a very tall man who had a chest that was extremely disproportionate to his lower body. He wore wraparound sunglasses and a tuxedo. His otherwise bald head was topped with a tuft of white hair in the center.  
“Whatchowant,” he asked them.  
“We’re looking for a club,” Mark said.  
“Who told you about it?”  
“Roulette,” Angelica answered.  
The man nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer.  
“Jenny told you,” Mark asked Angelica. “Why didn’t you just say so? Never mind. She’s your supplier, right?”  
Angelica offered a weak smile.  
The man pulled something from out of sight. It was a wand, the kind usually used as metal detectors. It seemed oddly out of place in a club for posthumans since weapons were the least of their concerns.  
“What’s that for, sir,” Mark asked. “We’re not carrying any weapons.”  
“Guido’s the name. This is just to make sure you belong. Sometimes we get a few who don’t belong here and it doesn’t go well for them.”  
“Oh.”  
The light blinked. Satisfied, Guido put it away.  
“Admission ain’t free.”  
“How much is it,” Angelica asked.  
“You ever heard of MGH – Mutant Growth Hormone,” Guido asked. Not waiting for an answer, he continued on. “We take a little of your DNA, mix it with some chemicals to make a pill and sell it. It gives humans a taste of what it’s like to be posthuman but without the lethal side-effects of PHX. Usually, anyway. For posthumans, it ups your powers for a while. It gives more of a boost than Kick but not as much as PHX.”  
“What do we do,” Mark asked.  
“I just need a little bit of your blood, or whatever passes for blood you got inside,” Guido said, opening a case with several needles and vials inside. It’s one vial per entry. If you give me, say, three vials, you don’t have to do this the next two times you come in. This pays for everything inside unless you bet on Arena matches.”  
“What’s the maximum I can give?”  
Guido looked at a panel. It had a readout, presumably something gleaned from the wand.  
“For you, four, maybe five. Two max for her.”  
“Four, then, I guess.”  
“Mark, that’s too much,” Angelica said.  
“Nah,” said Guido. “He’s hardy. You’re physically more frail than him even though you’re more powerful. Way more powerful.”  
“Shouldn’t that make my blood more valuable?”  
“I like how you think,” Guido said with a smile. “Take it up with the boss if you want. He might do something for you or he might not. Name’s Mojo. You can’t miss ‘em ‘cause he’s a fat, ugly, yellow blob. Kind of reminds me of Jabba the Hutt. Now roll up your sleeves.”  
Guido extracted four vials from Mark and two from Angelica. Mark was slightly dizzy afterward.  
“Take this,” Guido said, handing a pill to Mark. “It’ll accelerate your healing factor. And eat something sweet inside.”  
“I don’t have a healing factor,” said Mark.  
“Trust me, kid, we’ve all got it – or will. We’re evolving. Now, what name do I put on these vials?”  
“Flex for me.”  
“Firestar,” said Angelica.  
“Great. Now let me tell you the rules. Like I said, you get whatever you want inside – drugs, booze, food or anything else. You only pay to bet on the Arena matches. You could also make money by fightin’, but I don’t think you’ll be doing either of those today. If you’re not in the Arena there’s no fighting. Your powers aren’t suppressed, especially since some of us have physical mutations, but there are enough telepaths and empaths around to make sure you don’t even want to fight. Other than that, there’s no limitations on your behavior. Want to snort PHC, go right ahead. Feel like screwing on the floor? No problem. Anything goes. Now have fun.”  
When Guido finished his speech, the room began to change. The small, dim room seemed to disappear. In its place was a vast area, far larger than anything either had ever seen. Sports stadiums were tiny compared to this place. In bright, gleaming letters above it all was the word 'Mojoworld’.  
The place was amazing beyond belief. It was packed full of posthumans, some flying, gliding, walking, or showing off. There was drinking and drugs and assorted acts of sex, heterosexual and homosexual alike – as well as other things unknown to either of them. There were some sort of hazy walls of energy throughout the place. Upon close inspection, they were mildly transparent. The walls separated the place into something like theme areas. Some areas had rock, disco, Goth, techno, jazz, blues, the Arena, sex clubs of all kinds, casinos and many other things. It was like some sort of strange wonderland, but one designed only for posthumans.  
“I want to dance,” Angelica said, pulling Mark by the hand. “There’s a trance club over there. Let’s go.”  
As they passed by a casino, Mark caught a glance at someone he thought was Jenny. Apparently, Mojoworld allowed people who could influence luck to play at the tables. Based on entry, they had to know her powers. It almost didn’t seem fair but that was the risk of playing against posthumans.  
The rest of the night was a blur. Mark and Angelica danced, ate, smoked PHM, got drunk, and much more. In their altered states, Mark even managed to get a blow job out of Angelica, which was a first. She even swallowed.

Much later, the two returned to the Academy. The sun was coming up and they were both very much intoxicated. Rather than go back to their own rooms, they opted to fall asleep in the unfinished dorm. It seemed like they had just put their heads down when a very loud telepathic voice screamed in their heads. It was Emma Frost and she was very displeased.  
::Where have you been,:: came the shout.  
Neither was coherent enough to answer that question, and Frost’s invasive telepathic call made it even harder to think. They also didn’t want her to know where they’d gone but it didn’t seem unlikely that Frost wouldn’t just rip it out of their minds.  
::I asked you a question!::  
Even in this state, Mark and Angelica realized it was peculiar for Emma Frost to actually be asking – or demanding – an answer.  
“We went into town,” Mark answered. “Some bar let us in.”  
::You’re lying! I could not detect you telepathically and Cerebra was unable to find you! WHERE WERE YOU!::  
“We’re telling the truth,” cried Angelica. “Can’t you just read our minds?”  
::That information remains absent, almost as though a wall were in place. What was the establishment?::  
“Uh…”  
::Murphy’s? I suspect something very strange happened to you if you went there for you to not remember.::  
Angelica and Mark exchanged glances. They both knew exactly where they’d been and most of what they’d done. It seemed like Jenny might have even told them to leave at one point but they ignored her. That meant Jenny returned home undetected – or was that just her good luck? In any case, Frost was unable to find anything relating to Mojoworld in their minds. They wondered what kind of power they were dealing with that could do such a thing.  
“It sounds that way,” Mark replied. “I think I’ve got a hangover.”  
There was a mental sigh that ran through their heads.  
::Go take showers and report to the cafeteria for breakfast. We’ll discuss this later.::

When Angelica got to the dorm, Jenny saw her and followed her into the bathroom. Seeing that no one else was around, Jenny spoke freely.  
“That was very stupid of you,” said Jenny. “Why didn’t you leave when I told you to?”  
“I think we were too out of it,” Angelica replied.  
“You’re just lucky Mojo protects his club. If Ms. Frost knew it was there she’d keep us away, and that would defeat the whole purpose of an X-Door in town. Only you, me, Mark and Christopher are aware of it, and I’d like to keep it from anyone who might tattle. I’m sure Ms. Frost is at least suspicious.”  
“She thinks someone might have done something to us.”  
Jenny nodded. This could easily be her own luck in play. If Frost found out, Jenny couldn’t go there, either. Her power might have begun expanding beyond herself to influence situations which might be harmful to her.  
“Good. Next time I’ll make Christopher short circuit your heads if you don’t leave when I say it’s time to go. Got it?”  
At least for now, they were safe, but it was a certainty that many of the Hellions were going to enjoy their time as students at the Massachusetts Academy.

End


End file.
